Coomba Park vs Shallow Bay

Shallow Bay is the younger of the two, with a median age of 50 against 61 in Coomba Park. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Coomba Park, most households are people living alone. In Shallow Bay, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Shallow Bay: a median of $1.52 million, against $560,000 in Coomba Park, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Coomba Park tends to suit people living alone, older residents, and buyers on a tighter budget, while Shallow Bay suits couples.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Shallow Bay

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 81/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (75% vs 36%)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Coomba Park

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($560,000 vs $1,525,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Coomba Park has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $350/wk)
  • Shallow Bay leaves renters under less rental stress (30% vs 38%)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Coomba Park

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (12/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (222 min vs 230 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (297.5 km vs 300.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Coomba Park

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (12/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (41% vs 15%)
  • But Shallow Bay carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 81/100)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Shallow Bay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (54.5% vs 10.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Coomba Park and Shallow Bay drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Coomba Park Shallow Bay
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Coomba Park Shallow Bay
Walkability 12 / 0
Coomba Park — Walkability: 12/100 Shallow Bay — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 19 / 73
Coomba Park — Safety: 19/100 Shallow Bay — Safety: 73/100
Low fire risk 32 / 19
Coomba Park — Low fire risk: 32/100 Shallow Bay — Low fire risk: 19/100

Demographics

Coomba Park has more residents (691 vs 68); Shallow Bay has higher household incomes ($60,632 vs $40,872).

Coomba Park Shallow Bay
Population 691
+90% vs other
 68
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +10.6% +54.5%
Median age 61 50
Median household income $40,872/yr $60,632/yr
+48% vs other
Median weekly rent $300/wk $350/wk
+17% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Coomba Park Shallow Bay
0-4 1.4% / —
Coomba Park — 0-4: 1.4% Shallow Bay — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 6.1% / 10.3%
Coomba Park — 5-14: 6.1% Shallow Bay — 5-14: 10.3%
15-19 4.3% / 5.9%
Coomba Park — 15-19: 4.3% Shallow Bay — 15-19: 5.9%
20-24 2.2% / 5.9%
Coomba Park — 20-24: 2.2% Shallow Bay — 20-24: 5.9%
25-34 3.5% / 7.4%
Coomba Park — 25-34: 3.5% Shallow Bay — 25-34: 7.4%
35-44 7.2% / 5.9%
Coomba Park — 35-44: 7.2% Shallow Bay — 35-44: 5.9%
45-54 10.4% / 17.6%
Coomba Park — 45-54: 10.4% Shallow Bay — 45-54: 17.6%
55-64 25.8% / 17.6%
Coomba Park — 55-64: 25.8% Shallow Bay — 55-64: 17.6%
65-74 29.4% / 14.7%
Coomba Park — 65-74: 29.4% Shallow Bay — 65-74: 14.7%
75-84 9.3% / —
Coomba Park — 75-84: 9.3% Shallow Bay — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ 2.3% / —
Coomba Park — 85+: 2.3% Shallow Bay — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (29.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Coomba Park 58.4% lone person
Coomba Park — Lone Person: 58.4% Coomba Park — Couple Families: 20.5% Coomba Park — One Parent Families: 15.3% Coomba Park — Group Household: 5.8%
Shallow Bay 25.0% lone person
Shallow Bay — Lone Person: 25.0% Shallow Bay — Couple Families: 50.0% Shallow Bay — One Parent Families: 25.0% Shallow Bay — Group Household: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Coomba Park 11.7% renting
Coomba Park — Owned Outright: 65.7% Coomba Park — Mortgage: 22.5% Coomba Park — Renting: 11.7%
Shallow Bay 16.0% renting
Shallow Bay — Owned Outright: 52.0% Shallow Bay — Mortgage: 32.0% Shallow Bay — Renting: 16.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Coomba Park Shallow Bay
Certificate III & IV 19.2% / 20.6%
Coomba Park — Certificate III & IV: 19.2% Shallow Bay — Certificate III & IV: 20.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.5% / 4.4%
Coomba Park — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5% Shallow Bay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.4%
Bachelor Degree 6.1% / —
Coomba Park — Bachelor Degree: 6.1% Shallow Bay — Bachelor Degree: not among its largest
Postgraduate Degree 3.5% / —
Coomba Park — Postgraduate Degree: 3.5% Shallow Bay — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.4% / —
Coomba Park — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.4% Shallow Bay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.6%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Coomba Park Shallow Bay
England 7.2% / 4.4%
Coomba Park — England: 7.2% Shallow Bay — England: 4.4%
Netherlands 0.6% / 5.9%
Coomba Park — Netherlands: 0.6% Shallow Bay — Netherlands: 5.9%
New Zealand 2.3% / —
Coomba Park — New Zealand: 2.3% Shallow Bay — New Zealand: not among its largest
Germany 1.4% / —
Coomba Park — Germany: 1.4% Shallow Bay — Germany: not among its largest
Scotland 1.2% / —
Coomba Park — Scotland: 1.2% Shallow Bay — Scotland: not among its largest
Italy 0.9% / —
Coomba Park — Italy: 0.9% Shallow Bay — Italy: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Coomba Park 98.8% houses
Coomba Park — Houses: 98.8% Coomba Park — Flats / Apartments: 1.2%
Shallow Bay 100.0% houses
Shallow Bay — Houses: 100.0% Shallow Bay — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Coomba Park Shallow Bay
Median house price $560,000 $1,525,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $235,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 70 days
from 21 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Shallow Bay has more rural and farming land (79% vs 7%); Coomba Park has more land zoned for conservation (92% vs 21%).

Coomba Park Shallow Bay
Environmental 92% 21%
Rural and farming 7% 79%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Coomba Park Shallow Bay
New dwellings approved 743
across Mid-Coast
same for both
Approvals change year on year +327%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Coomba Park Shallow Bay
Houses 3.9%
$500/wk on $668K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Coomba Park Shallow Bay
House price Higher than 16% of NSW Higher than 75% of NSW
Income Higher than 5% of NSW Higher than 22% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 60% of NSW Higher than 13% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 45% of NSW Higher than 9% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 45% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 69% of NSW Higher than 53% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 68% of NSW —

Liveability

Coomba Park is more walkable (12 vs 0).

Coomba Park Shallow Bay
Grade D —
Score 11/100 —
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Coomba Park carries more crime risk (81 vs 27); Shallow Bay carries more bushfire risk (81 vs 68).

Coomba Park Shallow Bay
Bushfire Moderate
68/100
 High
81/100
Crime High
81/100
 Low
27/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Coomba Park Shallow Bay
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Coomba Park Shallow Bay
Waterways 0 3

Mobility

Shallow Bay sits further from the CBD (300.1 km vs 297.5 km).

Coomba Park Shallow Bay
Walkability score 12/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 297.5 km 300.1 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 222 min 230 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 2428
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 41
postcode 2428
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Coomba Park Shallow Bay
Car (driver) 69.0% / 56.2%
Coomba Park — Car (driver): 69.0% Shallow Bay — Car (driver): 56.2%
Worked from Home 21.8% / 43.8%
Coomba Park — Worked from Home: 21.8% Shallow Bay — Worked from Home: 43.8%
Car (passenger) 9.2% / —
Coomba Park — Car (passenger): 9.2% Shallow Bay — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (69.0%).

Setting

Coomba Park Shallow Bay
Elevation 30 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 15 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.4 km 8.7 km

NBN connectivity

Coomba Park Shallow Bay
Connectivity score 57/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 26%
523 premises
 0%
38 premises

Climate

Coomba Park Shallow Bay
Annual rainfall 1,331 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Coomba Park Shallow Bay
Average residential rate $1,560/yr
same for both
Council Mid-Coast
same for both

Federal electorate

Coomba Park Shallow Bay
Division Lyne
same for both
Member Alison Penfold
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Coomba Park Shallow Bay
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Coomba Park

Acreage Affordable Retirees

Shallow Bay

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Coomba Park

Coomba Park vs Coomba Bay

Other comparisons with Shallow Bay

Shallow Bay vs Nabiac Shallow Bay vs Coolongolook Shallow Bay vs Minimbah
Full data on Coomba Park Full data on Shallow Bay
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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